Arbitrator Armour
The Adeptus Arbites understand that in order to overawe the masses of humanity under their jurisdiction, they must present an impregnable façade. To show any weakness is to invite rebellion and heresy into the Imperium’s worlds, and such failure will not be tolerated. As a result of this obsession with maintaining a position of strength in the eyes of local power blocs, the Arbites have developed an almost theatrical showmanship in the execution of their duties. They regularly carry out patrols in force in areas where they will have the most visibility and the most psychological impact upon the population at large, whether that be outside the Governor’s mansion or in the darkest underhive bonemarkets. A key element in this process of remaining a visible presence on Imperial worlds is how Arbitrators look. They are, of course, associated indelibly in the minds of all Imperial citizens with their carapace armour, which at a stroke transforms these servants of the Imperium into faceless, intimidating, and impersonal automata. Designed to depersonalise the individual within the armour, as well as to provide excellent physical protection, the Arbites enjoy some of the finest armour systems available to Imperial servants outside of the Adeptus Astartes or Adepta Sororitas. For planetary Enforcers and the scum they seek to arrest, the armour systems available are typically far less robust or efficient. Enforcers will wear whatever uniform their Planetary Governor tells them to, though they trend towards hardwearing and practical garments in dark colours where they have a choice over the matter. The criminals they face will wear whatever armour they can lay their hands on, resulting in an eclectic, improvised, or jury-rigged appearance that can, on occasion, be surprisingly effective. Arbitrator Armor Profile 'Arbite Carapace Armour' The appearance of the Adeptus Arbites strikes fear into the hearts of criminals and the lawless. The task of crafting the signature carapace armour of the Adeptus Arbites falls to a variety of worlds in the Calixis Sector. The Calixian Adeptus sees to the manufacturing of equipment for its Fortress Precincts on many of the Forge Worlds, so that it would require a sector wide revolt to jeopardise the supply lines. The carapace armour is constructed from dense plasteel plates overlaying a synthetic polyplastic fi bre weave that must be produced in the orbital null-gravity manufactorum above the Lathe worlds. Calixian Arbites carapace armour is designed to be clipped together and worn over a light, breathable bodyglove, the armour carefully constructed and tailor-made to the proportions of the Arbitrator concerned. Given that the armour must be worn for hours at a time, often during periods of extreme physical exertion, it must be light and comfortable, and it succeeds surprisingly well on these fronts. The armour is completely unpowered, though it is often equipped with a number of mag-strips which permit weapons and other equipment to be attached directly to the armour without the need for clumsy straps and external clips. The Carapace helm is equipped with a micro-bead (or “vox-torc”) and is open at the mouth to allow easier verbal communication. The helm is, however, capable of being hermetically sealed in seconds; and has mountings for a rebreather, which is usually magnetised to the belt when not in use. It also contains polarising lenses which react instantly to light over a certain lumen level, and which have the effect of negating photon fl ash grenades completely. A beneficial side effect of this approach is that it makes it impossible to see which direction an Arbitrator is looking. The armoured gloves are cunningly wrought devices colloquially known as “lock gloves” in Calixian Arbites terminology, which count as recoil gloves. The armour has a number of magnetised attachment strips that are capable of carrying the Arbitrator’s weapons and equipment. Typically, an Arbitrator in the field will be equipped with a holstered Ius automatic pistol, three clips of ammunition, a rebreather, a vox-torc, a lamp pack that can be handheld or swiftly attached to any Arbites weapon, a power maul, two grenades (of any type), and two pairs of magnacles in addition to a basic weapon and ammunition. The armour has a very large mag-strip on the back which is capable of mounting a single basic weapon of up to 10kg in weight. 'Arbites Riot Armour' The Arbites are often called to break up riots. Whatever the nature of the disturbance, whether it be a queue war involving disparate packs of petitioners outside Administratum scriptoria, or desperate food riots aimed at snatching resources from tithe shuttles, the Arbites will not falter before the mob. When facing large, ill disciplined multitudes armed with cobblestones, planks, or staves, the Arbites will attach panels of protective cushioned wadding over parts of their carapace armour to protect against impact damage. These pads are often brightly coloured, and are designed not only to protect the Arbitrator, but to signal to rioters that they are about to be routed. Riot armour is a simple, but encumbering, collection of cushioned pads that are attached to vulnerable parts of standard carapace armour when facing riots. They add 1 point of additional AP to all locations, but this additional 1 point of AP will only protect against Impact Damage. All other types of Damage bypass riot armour completely. The armour is unwieldy and encumbering, and reduces a character’s Agility by 10 points when worn. 'Ballistic Cloth Surcoat' Many senior Arbitrators wear formal surcoats over their carapace armour in the discharge of their duties. The origin of this practice is unknown, but is apocryphally said to have begun on Terra, where the corrosive acid rain of that most holy of hive worlds tends to strip the paint off unprotected armour. The advanced weave of these garments adds somewhat to the protective quality of the carapace armour beneath. This article of clothing adds +1 AP to the arms and body of the wearer, and can be worn over other armour, provided it has been tailor-made for the wearer and their equipment. 'Tactical Riot Armour' Developed for law enforcement agencies, tactical riot armour protects the torso, arms and head of the Traveller primarily from improvised weapons used by rebellious civilians. The design of this armour emphasises intimidation while rendering the User anonymous among others so equipped. The Officer gains a +10 to all attempts to intimidate while wearing this armour. 'Gutter Forged armour' On occasion, truly desperate criminals will create for themselves suits of home-forged carapace armour. Usually of poor quality and almost impossibly heavy, these suits are haphazard affairs crudely welded or hammered together from pig iron plates by blacksmiths or forgeworkers. On occasion, these crude suits have proved surprisingly effective, and every year the bloodstains are carefully washed off new examples which are then mounted carefully on display in Cold Vaults across the Calixian Fortress Precincts. Although offering strong protection, these suits of solid metal armour, (usually consisting of a slit bucket helm, shoulder pads, and frontal and rear metal “aprons”) are severely encumbering. Anyone wearing this armour suffers a -15 penalty to Agility. 'Judge armour' Judges have the authority to requisition whatever equipment is held within the armouries or Cold Vaults of their planet’s Precincts, and as such will wear whatever they want in the field. Some pride themselves on wearing the same battered carapace armour they wore when patrolling decades ago as a humble arbitrator; however, most accept that their superior station as a lord of the Emperor’s justice demands more spectacular and intimidating garb. Judges will typically wear the finest examples of carapace armour available, constructed by master artisans, together with antique flowing robes and elaborate headdresses from different periods of humanity’s judicial history. A Judge’s armour will vary from world to world, as he or she seeks to refine their appearance so that it causes the most awe and fear in an individual planetary population. Judge armour is broadly similar to normal Arbites carapace armour in terms of its level of protection, but it incorporates theatrical and gaudy elements which suggest (in local historical terms) the power and majesty of the Arbites. When a Judge is required to take an Interrogation or Intimidate Test, they gain a +5 bonus against individuals from the planet where the Judge is stationed while wearing this armour. 'Verispex armour' The Verispex Adepts on loan from the Inquisition are individuals with a unique perspective on the galaxy, a skewed outlook gained by years of focused study. These crime-teks do not require the same standard of protective armour as frontline Arbitrators, yet they are still operating alongside Arbites agents, and must be clothed in garments that express their standing. Verispex armour symbolically resembles Arbitrator carapace armour, but is far lighter and more comfortable. It contains a variety of special tools and scanners, including an auspex, chrono, combi-tool and data-slate. In addition, the armour has storage space for specialised tools, granting a +10 bonus Awareness and Medicae tests made to find information in the field (such as looking over a dead body or tracing the trajectory of a bullet). 'Verispex helm' In order to comprehend the often mystifying scenes left behind by the galaxy’s killers and assassins, the Verispex Adepts employ a wide variety of tools, custom crafted by Calixian Manufactorums. Issued with the Adept’s Verispex armour, the Verispex helm is a diagnostic and detective device resembling prey-sight goggles mounted with a variety of eyepieces and lamps. The helm employs a number of polarised eyelenses and lume frequencies to locate bloodstains and other bodily fluids. The rare chemicals found in the oceans of Landunder also allow the Verispex helm to analyze scent and pheromone trails, an invaluable tool for the Verispex Adepts working beside the Calixian Arbites. Many Verispex Adepts will attempt to acquire a Verispex helm for their own use, especially when in the fi eld with an Inquisitorial cell. The Verispex helm includes both infra-red goggles and a photo-visor (see page 147 of the Dark Heresy rulebook). In addition, the Verispex helm adds +10 to Search and Tracking Tests. 'Enforcer Riot Shield' These transparent circular shields have a diameter of about 2 feet, and are constructed of lightweight polycarbonate that offers protection against impact attacks and limited protection against many other types of assault. Because the shield is attached at the wrist, an Enforcer may prefer this shield over other protection, as it keeps his hand free to operate other equipment (such as a vox) or a pistol. These shields offer +3 AP against attacks made against the body and one arm from weapons with the Primitive quality, and +1 AP to attacks of all other kinds made against the same areas. An Acolyte using an Enforcer riot shield may still carry and manipulate objects in his shield hand, up to pistol-sized weapons. 'Synord-pattern “lockshield”' The Arbites commonly make use of heavy, ceramite shields during operations of all types These are rectangular plates, worn on one arm, which are typically equipped with a heavily armoured viewport that offers protection to the operator The Synford “Lockshield” is a relatively standard example of the type, but with one unusual and defi ning feature. The lockshield, like most Arbites shields, is designed with an armourglass viewport and a fi ring port through which a basic or pistol weapon can be fired without penalty, It also contains a powered vox-hailer linked to the vox-torc of the most senior Arbitrator present, allowing that officer to rebuke and remonstrate over even the most deafening racket, It contains mag-strips on both sides, which enable prisoners to be secured directly to the shield by magnacles, Its most unusual feature is its ability to lock solidly with adjacent lockshields to create an armoured wall behind which Arbitrators can advance as a unit. A lockshield requires one hand to use and provides +4 AP to that arm and the torso of the user. The shield is taller than most Arbites shields, and as such can additionally provide the +4 AP protection to the head when the user is in motion, or the legs when stationary. The shield can be locked using mag-strips to shields adjacent to it; the Arbites use this to create walled “Lockshield” formations during particularly lethal riots, or to advance large groups of Arbites down wide, fire swept corridors. Book of Judgement content Category:Armour